If you’ve seen the teasers/promo for today’s episode, it at first glance seems to be a fun, beautiful episode where the Greens get to dress up for the ball. But keep in mind that we are still firmly in Gilead. I viewed this episode through the lens of a prom in hell.
Episode 105 – Ball
At a debutante-style ball where Green girls are paraded before Commanders, the illusion of elegance begins to fray. Agnes discovers Garth’s status has changed.
Writer: Nate Burke & Sam Rubinek
Director: Quyen Tran
Today’s episode opens with Agnes’s monologue about bodies and the shame she’s experiencing after Dr. Grove sexually assaulted her. We next see Agnes all dressed up in her green gown for the ball. Paula thinks she’s doing the motherly thing by teaching her how to behave with men, teaching her to be coy. But we all need to remember that Agnes is a 14-year-old child, being married off to a grown man.
At the school, all the Greens are doing their makeup and getting ready for the ball. They all look excited, as though this is a sort of prom. Becka sees that Agnes is nervous and tries to comfort her. Aunt Estee gives the girls a speech to prepare them for what tonight means, “Girls…somewhere out there is your future husband. Tonight you will meet him. Soon you will share a life with him, rise children with him, and love and obey him as he will love and protect you.” GROSS. THEY ARE CHILDREN.
Shunammite is helping give Agnes a pep talk, and they all line up and enter the ballroom. Aunt Lydia and Commander Judd are seated at the front of the room. All the girls come out to perform a group dance in a circle with the Pinks in the center, the Plums outside them, and the Greens on the very outside. The Commanders all watch from above at the formation which looks like an eye. “Under his eye” quite literally.
Next, it’s time for the fathers’ dance. Agnes sees Dr. Grove dancing with Becka and has a strong reaction but quickly manages to regain her composure to dance with Commander McKenzie. After this dance, some slightly younger Commanders come out to dance with the Greens (by younger, I mean likely in their 20s and 30s). This is the closest they’ve been to men in Gilead ever, and they’re already preparing to be married off.
Back in the dressing room, Shunammite is drinking a tea to try to make her period come sooner and lets Hulda have a little sip. Shunammite is desperate to become a Green ASAP. Out on the dance floor, the younger Commanders try to chat with the Greens to get to know them. It would be sweet if only it were age appropriate. We do get a moment in Agnes’s monologue where she references a term she learned in therapy. So we now know that she is telling this story from a place where she has already begun to receive some therapy, which we can safely assume is outside of Gilead. So for everyone worrying about Agnes/Hannah’s fate, here you go!
Daisy is standing in the hallway, minding her own business, when an older Commander decides to make disgusting comments to her. She tells him not to touch her, and he explodes in anger. Thankfully, Garth comes to her rescue and gets him to leave. Garth tells her that the information she learned from the chocolate is helpful and wants her to find out more. She presses him on trying to get her out of Gilead, but he says she needs to prove she is worth the trouble.
Back on the dance floor, the Greens are approached by different Commanders. Several High Commanders are chatting with Commander Judd, making gross comments. He tells them to act with some decency, which is rich coming from a man that has already impregnated his own wife AKA child bride. The Greens come back to their vanity stations for a break to touch up their makeup and Shunammite wants all the hot gossip. There seems to be some sort of awkward tension between Becka and Agnes. Uh oh.
Out in the ballroom, the Greens have taken their places to dance again, but this time, the real potential matches, the disgustingly old Commanders come out to dance with the girls. The girls from homes of the highest status were matched with the most powerful Commanders. Agnes says, “we all hoped we would be the exception.”
As Agnes is dancing with a High Commander, Garth comes over to say he is needed in the war room. Garth takes his place to dance with Agnes in the meantime. She performs the choreography she rehearsed with Becka with Garth, and she finally feels what it’s like to dance with someone she has feelings for. She chats with him about the aftermath of the recent attack.
The Commander that was dancing with Becka pours her a drink of something that is definitely not allowed. She excuses herself from the room.
Upstairs Aunt Lydia confronts Commander Judd about the Commanders’ behavior, “Do not let them get my girls drunk.” He says he’ll talk to them and she walks away. He approaches Aunt Vidala about how they might shape the future after Aunt Lydia. Uh oh, Lydia may be on the outs again. Becka is attempting to walk down the hall but is obviously very drunk. Shunammite comes to her rescue and gets Daisy to take her to the bathroom.
Daisy makes sure she gets some water, and Becka starts to talk about how anxious she has been about the ball. She revels that she doesn’t want to return to the ball and doesn’t want the Commanders looking at her and touching her. Daisy tries to comfort her about good men that exist in the world. Becka asks her what it feels like to run away. Daisy encourages her to think about how much her friends care about her, “…Agnes, she loves you.” And Becka devastatingly admits her true feelings about Agnes by tearfully replying, “Not the way I love her.” Oh, sweet Becka; my heart breaks for her. Daisy helps Becka steady herself to go back out to the ballroom but tells her that it’s okay to feel the way she does.
Back in the dressing room, Jehosheba comes in loudly talking about Becka, trying to put her down. Shunammite, tells her not to slander but when she continues, Shunammite straight up slaps Jehosheba. YIKES. Shunammite may be sassy and competitive, but she cares fiercely about her friends.
Aunt Gabbana pulls Agnes off the dance floor to bring her to a room where Commander Judd is seated at a table. He has her sit at the end of the table with a bright spotlight on her. Behind him is a screen where at least 24 Commanders are on a video conference call, all watching her. He says they will talk so that the Commanders can get to know her. When he asks the first question, Agnes tries to answer but is overcome by the pressure and locks up. He briefly shuts the camera off to give her a moment to gather herself. She looks like she may be having a panic attack. He tries to comfort her by bringing up Penny and tells her to just be herself. She’s really feeling the pressure of all that is expected of her at this time. They begin again, and Agnes makes it through.
After the ball, Agnes approaches Becka to see if she’s okay and tries to assure her that tonight won’t hurt her chances at a good match. But Becka says that if the worst happens, she could just run away. Agnes plays into the fantasy a bit and offers to run away with her, and they share a sweet pinky swear.
Aunt Lydia tells Aunt Vidala that she failed because the Greens were given alcohol. There is definitely some bad blood brewing. Aunt Vidala comes down to scold the Greens that did not behave the way they were supposed to.
Suddenly, a bell rings, and Hulda comes running in, ecstatic that the tea worked. She approaches Aunt Vidala to kneel and recites the lines, announcing that she has now gotten her first period. Shunammite is devastated and tears up but still goes to congratulate Hulda.
On the way home, Commander McKenzie is chatting with Agnes and Garth. We learn that Garth is being promoted to Commander in a few weeks, and you can see the wheels turning in Agnes’s head. Once at home after her father heads inside, Agnes’s monologue is her fantasizing about Garth being eligible and she finally feels some hope about her future.
